Thermal Metal Growler

ABSTRACT

A container comprising an inner bottle and an outer bottle each preferably made of stainless steel. The bottles nested and each having a neck portion and connected at their necks so as to minimize thermal conductivity between the inner bottle and outer bottle and to form an air tight enclosed vacuum between the inner bottle and outer bottle. Preferably the outer bottle has a volume of between 102% and 130% of the inner bottle and the inner bottle has a volume of between 26 and 80 ounces. The container can be sealed and reused to permit efficient use as a growler for beer.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to thermal metal containers principally for use in the purchase of beer from a brewery or pub off of a tap, such containers commonly known as growlers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the beer trade there is a modern resurgence of smaller craft breweries and a growing appreciation of small batch beers. Many of these breweries have very limited bottling or no bottling, selling much of their production by the keg or on site through brew pubs. While this is an economical way to produce beer for sale through pubs and restaurants, individuals are rarely capable of managing a 5 or more gallon keg purchase to enjoy these craft beers in their home or in remote locations such as when participating in outdoor activities such as camping or rafting.

Similarly, it is common to find many beers available on tap in a pub that are not available in a grocery store, and many customers find the taste of beer from a keg to be superior to that of beer from a bottle. However, the costs of and complications of maintaining kegged beer for personal consumption can be prohibitive, much less the costs and complications of keeping a wide selection of beers available in kegs for personal consumption.

A traditional method of purchasing beer, predating bottling, was to employ the growler, which was often a large can or bottle. In modern times growlers are generally made of glass and larger than traditional large beer 22 oz “bomber” bottles or even the 750 milliliter, 25 oz. “fifth,” though they can be of any useful size. They are resealable to permit re-use and the preservation of the carbonation in beer after being dispensed from a keg. Any resealable larger bottle might be referred to as a growler.

In traditional use a patron would bring a growler into the pub or brewery for filling and later personal or remote consumption. As craft breweries have expanded, this old style method of buying beer in customer supplied large glass bottled has returned.

A problem with traditional and common growlers is that the glass material is fragile and provides only limited thermal protection, requiring the beer in such a growler to be carefully handled and quickly refrigerated after purchase. This is further aggravated in that many craft beers are thermally sensitive and alive with active yeasts. While a pasteurized bottle of common beer might suffer nominally by being briefly warmed in transit and then re-cooled for consumption, this is not the case with many craft beers whose flavor can be irretrievably damaged through thermal shock.

While thermal bottles are well known, the common thermal bottle is bulky, has a glass inner bottle and provides a less than adequate volume, often less than 22 oz, focusing on maximum thermal retention to keep hot liquids, such as coffee, at maximum temperature for extended periods of time. Larger thermal vessels designed for non-industrial liquids are not designed to be air tight to allow for the preservation of the beer's carbonation. As well, the prior art, being either made entirely of glass, or with a glass inner bottle was fragile and was not suitable for use in a rugged environment such as when camping or whitewater rafting.

Prior art such as U.S. Pat. No. 672,025 to Walsh et al., failed to provide sufficient thermal insulation, using added ice for cooling, failed to provide a sealing or capping that would retain the carbonation in beer, and was bulky with a notable volumetric differential between the inner and the outer container walls.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,583 to Kelley et al., provides for thermally insulating a traditional fragile glass growler, is bulky, and essentially a thermal external sleeve adapted for enclosing a traditional glass growler. U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,583 to Kelley et al. also fails to provide the utility of a singular container which is spatially efficient with thermal properties that may be sealed to preserve the temperature and carbonation of beer.

Traditional thermal bottles focus on higher degrees of insulation and lower volumes than are needed for growlers. Prior thermal bottles teach generally to this relatively bulky, excessively insulated type bottle that is innately inappropriate for use in the storage or transport of beer. Thermal bottles, such as U.S. Pat. No. 3,331,522 to Bridges and U.S. Pat. No. 4,427,123 to Komeda et al., are relatively bulky for the volume of liquid they can contain and have a large volumetric differential between an outer bottle and inner bottle (estimated to be 140% or greater) and are adapted to be of a size that is generally smaller than would be useful to serve as a growler, focusing on the utility of keeping smaller volumes of liquids such as coffee at high temperatures.

In light of the prior art, a need exists for an all metal thermal bottle that is economical, resealable, providing more thermal protection than a glass bottle without being breakable. As well the market is in need of such a bottle that made efficient use of space, recognizing the need for moderate thermal protection without being bulky.

SUMMARY

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide for a metal thermal bottle adapted for use with beer with the thermal properties of keeping chilled liquids cold, preserving carbonation and being of a proper size for use as a growler.

Another object of the invention is to provide for a spatially efficient container without excessive differentials between and inner bottle and an outer bottle such that appropriate volumes of liquid might be transported without unnecessary bulk.

According to the present invention there is provided an inner bottle and an outer bottle, preferably both made of stainless steel. The inner and outer bottles being nested and joined together at their necks to create a vacuum space between the inner and outer bottles and nominal inter-bottle contact or conductivity.

A resealable cap is fitted to the nested bottles, such as with a threaded cap, sealing the contents of the inner bottle such that beer or other carbonated liquid can be retained without losing its carbonation.

The bottle as a whole is useful for the purchase and storage of liquids such as beer purchased from a brewery or pub, poured off a tap into the bottle, sealed and then later consumed either at home, or elsewhere.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above description and other objects, advantages, and features of the present embodiment will be more fully understood and appreciated by reference to the specification and accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side cutaway view of the preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a side plan view of the upper portion of the preferred embodiment of the invention with the cap in place.

FIG. 2 a is a side plan view of the upper portion of the preferred embodiment of the invention without the cap in place.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the preferred embodiment of the invention with the cap in place.

FIG. 3 a is a top plan view of the preferred embodiment of the invention without the cap in place.

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the preferred embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DISCUSSION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 shows the preferred embodiment of the present invention in cutaway. Depicted is the inner bottle 10, which has a neck portion 12, the outer bottle 20 with an outer bottle neck portion 22. The inner bottle neck portion 12 and the outer bottle neck portion 22, connected together at a point 30 to minimize conductivity between the inner 10 and outer bottles 20 and being sealed so as to permit a vacuum between the two bottles 32.

A means for resealably closing the inner bottle is provided, with the preferred method being the placement of external threads 36 around the perimeter of the outer bottle neck 22, and fitting to those threads 36 a sealing threaded cap 34. While this is the preferred embodiment, providing a high degree of utility and economy, other methods may similarly be used, including snap caps, flip caps and other means of allowing the bottle to be filled and sealed to preserve the carbonation of the inner bottle.

Contained within the bottle is a carbonated liquid, such as beer 38.

In the preferred embodiment the volume of the inner bottle is between 28 and 80 ounces to be useful as a growler in for the purchase, storage and transportation of beer off a tap. An inner bottle volume of approximately 64 oz. is a highly desirable size for use with beer, though the use of a highly spatially efficient thermal metal bottle for storage and consumption of beer may be of any size.

In the preferred embodiment the vacuum space 32 between the inner bottle 10 and the outer bottle 20 is nominal and mainly to preserve the separation of the two bottles. Preferably the outer bottle 20 has a volume of not more than 130% of the inner bottle 10 to promote efficiency. In an optimal design, the outer bottle 20 is approximately 115% the volume of the inner bottle 10 for a container of 60 to 70 ounces, with greater volume efficiencies for larger sizes and generally lesser efficiencies for smaller sizes.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the container essentially depicting the outer bottle 20, with the sealing cap 34 in place. FIG. 2 a depicts the outer bottle 20, without a cap in place.

While any number of suitable metals might be used, in the preferred embodiment both the inner bottle 10 and the outer bottle 20 are made of type 304 stainless steel. The sealing cap 34 may be made of any number of suitable materials, including metal, hard rubber, ceramics or plastics.

Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be determined not by the embodiment illustrated, but by the appended claims and their legal equivalents. 

1. A container comprising: an inner bottle and an outer bottle made of metal each having a neck portion; with said neck portion of said inner bottle connected to said neck portion of said outer bottle so as to minimize thermal conductivity between said inner bottle and said outer bottle and form an air tight enclosed space between said inner bottle and said outer bottle; a means of removably capping or sealing said inner bottle; wherein said outer bottle has a volume of between 102% and 130% of said inner bottle.
 2. The container of claim 1 wherein said enclosed space between said inner and outer bottle is a vacuum.
 3. The container of claim 1 wherein said inner bottle and said outer bottle are made of stainless steel.
 4. The container of claim 1 wherein said inner bottle is filled with beer.
 5. The container of claim 1 wherein said inner metal bottle has a volume of between 26 and 80 ounces.
 6. The container of claim 1 wherein said inner metal bottle has a volume of between 32 and 74 ounces.
 7. The container of claim 1 wherein said inner metal bottle has a volume of between 38 and 68 ounces.
 8. The container of claim 1 wherein said inner metal bottle has a volume of between 44 and 62 ounces.
 9. The container of claim 1 wherein said inner metal bottle has a volume of between 50 and 56 ounces.
 10. The container of claim 1 wherein said outer bottle has a volume of less than 126% of the inner bottle.
 11. The container of claim 1 wherein said outer bottle has a volume of less than 122% of the inner bottle.
 12. The container of claim 1 wherein said outer bottle has a volume of less than 118% of the inner bottle.
 13. The container of claim 1 wherein said outer bottle has a volume of less than 114% of the inner bottle.
 14. The container of claim 1 wherein said outer bottle has a volume of less than 110% of the inner bottle.
 15. The container of claim 1 wherein said outer bottle has a volume of less than 106% of the inner bottle.
 16. A container comprising: an inner bottle and an outer bottle made of metal each having a neck portion; with said neck portion of said inner bottle connected to said neck portion of said outer bottle so as to minimize thermal conductivity between said inner bottle and said outer bottle to form an air tight enclosed space between said inner bottle and said outer bottle; wherein said enclosed space is a vacuum; a means of irremovably capping or sealing said inner bottle; wherein said inner metal bottle has a volume of between 26 and 80 ounces; wherein said outer bottle has a volume of between 102% and 130% of said inner bottle.
 17. A container comprising: an inner bottle and an outer bottle made of metal each having a neck portion; with said neck portion of said inner bottle connected to said neck portion of said outer bottle so as to minimize thermal conductivity between said inner bottle and said outer bottle to form an air tight enclosed space between said inner bottle and said outer bottle; wherein said enclosed space is a vacuum; a means of irremovably capping or sealing said inner bottle; wherein said outer bottle has a volume of between 102% and 130% of said inner bottle; and wherein said inner bottle is filled with beer.
 18. The container of claim 17 wherein said inner metal bottle has a volume of between 26 and 80 ounces. 